Page 60 - Christ and Culture Textbook

Christians find it most problematic to embrace submission to authority. But being Christians should
make us hesitate before we live in active disobedience to those whom God has put in authority over us.

The New Testament elucidates the origin and function of government under God. This issue is clearly
dealt with by the Apostle Paul in the thirteenth chapter of his epistle to the Romans.

Romans 13:1-2 begins: “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no
authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists
the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment”. Every
Christian is given an imperative to submit to governing authorities. Peter also taught that there is a
fundamental obligation for the Christian to be a model of civil obedience. We as the people of God are
called upon to be as obedient as we possibly can be, to the glory of God our Father.

A Christian is supposed to be particularly trustworthy and sensitive in civil obedience. Paul begins to set
forth his case by saying, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities.” Why? “For there is
no authority except from God.” Peter puts it another way. He tells us to submit ourselves to the earthly
authorities for the Lord’s sake (1 Peter 2:13). That means that if I show no respect to a person whom
God has set in authority between Himself and me, my disrespect carries beyond that person and
ultimately lands on God as the giver of the authority.

Disobedience to Human Authorities.

If all authority is from the sovereign God, therefore there is no authority above him. At the top of the
hierarchy is God and all authority rests ultimately in him. R. C. Sproul puts right by saying, “our first
loyalty as Christians must be to our heavenly King. We are called to respect, honor, pray for, and be in
subjection to our earthly authorities, but the minute we exalt the earthly authority over the authority of
Christ, we have betrayed Him, and we have committed treason against the King of kings. His authority is
23
higher than the authority of every Leader on earth.”

Daniel shows that at times the believer must stand against the authorities of the culture in order to be
submissive to God. It is this segment of Daniel's life that is most important to be applied by the believers
of the current culture. Is there ever a time when it is legitimate for the church or the Christian to act in
defiance toward the state? Whom do you obey when there is conflict between the law of God and the
rule of men? Sometimes human leaders require people to do things that God prohibits or forbids them
from doing what God commands. This is the principle of civil obedience. But when those authorities
command us to do something God forbids or forbid us from doing something God commands, we must
24
obey God rather than earthly authorities.
The Biblical principle is very simple. If any governing official or body, schoolteacher, boss, or military
commander tells you to do something God forbids or forbids you from doing something God commands,
not only may you disobey, but you must disobey. If it comes down to a choice like this, you must obey

23 R. C. Sproul, What Is the Relationship between Church and State?, First edition., vol. 19, The Crucial
Questions Series (Orlando, FL; Sanford, FL: Reformation Trust; Ligonier Ministries, 2014), 15.

24 Ibid.,55.

59